French citizenship law n°2: Thou shalt be very pacient

The second meeting at the Yvelines prefecture just took place, for my French naturalization process, after my first unsuccessful attempt of the last week. I entered the Prefecture full of hope today (technically yesterday: it's past midnight...), at around 11am, proud of myself when I saw that there was nobody waiting in line at the reception desk (wow, the peak time schedule displayed at the entrance and on the internet was actually real! I was impressed...).

I left the prefecture last week deeply hoping that the number dispenser that everybody ignored was actually working and I approached it this time with some sort of nervous anxiety, when a security guard (probably, umm, well... guarding the thing) looked at me with a quizzical brow: "Bonjour, monsieur, I would like to go to the Naturalizations Office, please!". He pressed the corresponding button himself, like suggesting that I was unable to do it on my own, and told me to wait near the counter 39 until my number will show up. 'Now, I didn't know that information, I was too quick to jump on conclusions, there!' I'm thinking, feeling somewhat guilty with too much prejudice... "Merci, Monsieur!" and I take a look at the piece of paper: my number is 997 and there are "only" 29 people before me. Estimated waiting time: 2 hours. Holly sh*t! That doesn't begin well...

I go sit in the waiting area, in the most uncomfortable chair ever invented (one among 4 individual iron chairs linked together, definitely not good for anyone's back and additionally having the bad habit of balancing itself at every tiny movement of the other seated people) then watch the unfortunates sharing my fate, waiting patiently our turn, holding closely thick folders full of the gazillion papers required and stalking avidly the few fortunate ones that got to be in front of one of the three counters dealing with naturalization papers ... until noon, time at which every brave French citizen feels the urgent need to take their lunch break. The civil servants managed to deal with only 4 people since I arrived, but some of the numbers weren't present when they were called, so there is still hope that people will finally give up, yay! One of the lucky 4 just spent about one hour and a half in front of the counter but his dossier wasn't accepted: he has to come back on another Tuesday, he didn't have all the papers with him...

ZEN! Please stay ZEN when you see each civil servant taking a 50min lunch break at noon, even if you know that the naturalizations office closes in only three hours! Use your imagination, watch those three years old getting together trying to amuse themselves, wonder at their creative capabilities because they are able to find things to do and play even in this sterile environment! Socialize! Find out that the lady seated next to you is a nice Brazilian that teaches painting classes in a nearby town, discuss the life in France, the efficiency of the French system and other interesting cultural differences! Find out that the number dispenser starts its numbering from 950 and then, when at 999, resets to 950 again! Talking about creativity...

My turn, at last, at 2:50pm (the office closes at 3pm): [...] "Could I, please, have a list with the official agreed translators?" "No" it's the answer; I'll have to go back to the reception desk because only they have it. The exhaustion and disappointment must've been widely written on my face, because a supervisor from behind asked the woman to check it out once more on her computer. And she found it this time! I felt an urge to shout "Eureka!!!" but was too drained and also feared not to be arrested for disturbing the public order before I get to ask all my questions...

Another enriching day at the prefecture is gone, see you next week for an exciting next round! ;)

P.S. you can buy an official tax stamp from any tabac shop or trésorerie